Method of and means for making casts of feet



Feb. 5, 1929.

E. HESS METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR MAKING CASTS OF FEET Filed Feb. 21, 1927Patented Feb. 5, 1929.

UNITED STATES EZRA HESS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

.METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR MAKING CASTS OF FEET.

Application filed February 21. 1927. Serial No. 189,985.

In order to make a boot or shoe which will fit the foot for which it isintended, it is necessary or desirable to have a last made to simulatesuch foot. Such a last can be best made from a cast formed of the foot,such east being preferably made of plaster. In order to make such cast,it is necessary to first make a mould or negative of the foot in whichthe cast may be formed.

The present invention relates to a method of making such moulds ornegative forms and the completion of the casts therein and also tosuitable means for making such moulds or negatives and carrying out suchmethod or process.

One of the particularly desirable features of the present invention isthe provision of means whereby any ordinary person may make moulds ornegatives of his feet in a simple and convenient manner and withoutexpert assistance. By means of this arrangement, my improved mould formsor devices may be sent out to persons desiring to secure individuallasts, and after they have made the mould or negative thereon may bereturned for the purpose of making the casts and subsequently the lasts.The objects of the present invention are to provide an improved methodof making moulds and casts of the feet or the like to provide a simpleand convenient support or base on which the negative or mould of thefoot may be readily formed; to provide means whereby a person may makemoulds of his feet, which moulds may be readily removed; to provide asplit or hinged base upon which a negative or mould of a foot may beformed and may then be opened to release the foot; and to provide suchother novel features and improvements aswilLbe described more fullyhereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating this invention;

Figure 1 is a plan View of the plate or board on which the negative ormould is formed;

Figure 2 is a side View with parts broken away showing the foot inposition and indicating the plaster or mould material which is appliedthereto;

Figure 3 is an end View showing the mould opened to release the foot;and

Figure 4 is a perspective View of the board or plate with the negativeor mould shown thereon in dotted lines.

As shown in these drawings, the plate or board 5 is made in two sectionsor split as shown at 6. These sections are adapted to be movablyconnected as by means of strap hinges 7 which may be formed of leatheror fabric and nailed to the bottom of the sections. The board or platehas a raised rear portion 8 and a lower front portion 9, as shownparticularly in Figures 2 and 4. The raised portion is preferablyslightly grooved or cut away, as shown at 10, where it isengaged bythe'arch of the foot. A thin blade or separator 11 is secured to one ofthe sections and projects upwardly into the space between the raised andlower sections, and its upper edge is curved as shown at 12 forengagement with the lower portion of the foot. This blade may be made ofmetal or any suitable material and serves to assist in separating thetwo halves of the mould, as will presently appear. A thread or string 13is secured to the front part of the plate or board,

as by means of a staple 14 and a second thread or cord 15 is secured tothe rear portion of the plate by means of a staple or fastener 16.

When the mould or negative is to be formed, the foot is placed with theheel on the raised portion 8 and the ball or front of the foot on thelower portion 9, as shown in Figure 2, and the threads 13 and 15 aredrawn up and held by a band or cord 17 around the ankle. The plasticmaterial or plaster is then applied to the foot and upper surface of themould board or plate 5 and around the foot,

as indicated at 18, and may also be worked in under the foot against thesides of the blade 11 in order to give a substantially complete negativeor mould of the foot. In order to do this the plaster must be of suchconsistency that it will adhere to the board and will retain its shapewhen formed around the foot without the necessity of lateral or sidesupporting members. Before the plaster has hardened, the threads orcords 13 and 15 are pulled outwardly away from the foot so as to dividethe mould or negative in substau-nfl tially two halves as indicated inFigure 4. The material is then allowed to further set or harden until itis sufiiciently rigid so that it will retain its shape, and the sectionsof the board are swung apart or moved so as to open the mould, as shownin Figure 3, to permit the removal of the foot. Theinould is then closedand the cast may be made in the usual manner and is then properlyfashioned so that a suitable last may be made therefrom. The plates orboards 5 and other parts may be made of comparatively cheap orinexpensive material so that they will ordinarily only be used once andwill be made in various sizes for different feet. From this descriptionit will be seen that I provide means wereby the mould or base membersmay be sent out from a central ofiice or factory to people throughoutthe country who may complete the moulds and return them for the purposeof having individual lasts made and thereby secure shoes which will fittheir feet.

Having thus described my invention, which, however, may be modifiedwithout departing from the scope thereof, in so far as expressed in thefollowing claims, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent1s:

a 1. The method of making a cast of a foot or the like which consists inplacing the foot on a separable base having no side members, thenapplying plaster or the like of suitable consistency to retain its formaround the foot and on the base and dividing the plaster above the basebefore it has hardened, then permitting the plaster to harden andopening the mould thus formed to remove the foot, and finally fillingthe mould with suitable material to make the cast.

2. The herein described method of forming a mould or negative for makinga cast, which consists in placing the foot on a base formed of tworelatively flat movable parts having no side members, then applyingplaster or the like of suitable consistency to retain its form withoutlateral support'on the base and around the foot, then dividing theplaster above the base in alignment with the line of division betweenthe two parts before the plaster has setor hardened, then allowing theplaster to harden and finally separating the two parts of the plate andthe plaster applied thereto to permit the removal of the foot.

3. The method of forming a mould or negative of. an irregular body whichconsists in placing the body on plate which is formed of twosubstantially flat parts which are hinged together, said plate alsohaving two threads secured thereto adjacent to the line of division, thefree portions of said threads being arranged adjacent to the body, thenputting a cementitious material around the body and on the plate, saidmaterial being of proper consistency to retain its form without lateralv support, then pulling the threads away from the body to divide thecementitious material before it has hardened, then permitting thecementitious material to harden, and finally swinging the mould thusformed into open position to remove the body.

4. A device for forming moulds or negatives of a foot or the like,comprising a substantially flat plate which is divided longitudinallywith the two parts hinged together and having no side members, and meansfor dividing lastie material which may be applied to tie plate.

5. A device for forming a mould of a foot, comprising two boards hingedtogether and having a raised portion at one end for supporting the heel,a blade arranged between the two portions and adapted to projectupwardly under the adjacent portion of the foot, and strings secured tothe boards adjacent to the ends thereof, said strings being adapted tobe arranged at the back and front of the foot before the plaster isapplied and serving to separate the plaster longitudinally of theboards.

6. A mould forming device of the character set forth, comprising twoboards hinged together on the lower side and having a raised portion atone end, and a separator adjacent to the raised portion which extendslongitudinally between the boards, and threads secured to the boardsadjacent to either end thereof, said mould having no lateral or sidesupports for the moulding material.

' EZRA HESS.

